Mexican American Girls and Gang Violence (1403967229) VALDEZ

This book focuses on the vulnerability of beyond-risk young females connected to male street-based youth gangs involved in violence, drug use, crime and sexual behavior. Special attention is given to partner violence experienced by these girls embedded in Mexican American communities with persistent poverty and weak community institutions. Unlike other studies on gang girls, this book describes the relationships of girls with others in the community, including family members and peers. The book draws attention to how gender roles reflect a family-ethnic culture and community complex. Valdez takes the perspective that there are multiple-level factors that are continually interacting and exerting influence on an individual’s susceptibility to these deleterious behaviors.

"This is a notable contribution to our understanding of young women’s place and experiences within youth gang contexts. Valdez’ focus on the multiple levels of girls' affiliation with gangs, and his examination of how gangs and the communities in which they are embedded shape gendered victimization risks for young women, underscore the profound consequences of gender, racial and economic inequalities. The study raises significant issues for researchers and practitioners interested in understanding and ameliorating important social problems of our times."
--Jody Miller, Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Missouri-St. Louis

"There are plenty of books on male gang members, but very few exist that focus on females. Avelardo Valdez’s Mexican American Girls and Gang Violence not only helps fill this void, but adds an important dimension in regards to females that are ‘beyond risk.’"
--James Diego Vigil, Professor of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine

"Avelardo Valdez has produced a masterful empirical study of Mexican American girls whose involvement in street-level violence, drug use, and promiscuity place them ‘beyond risk’ and on the edge of personal disaster. The young women and men who populate these pages deserve our attention and concern. We owe Valdez a huge debt of gratitude for helping us understand how we can work with the community leaders to stem this tragic loss of human potential. Read this book if you care not only about Mexican American kids but about all young people who face the dangers of violent street life."
--William Kornblum, Professor of Sociology and Chair, Center for Urban Research Graduate Center, City University of New York

"Highly significant ... addressing how social and cultural factors are critical in understanding the etiology of intimate partner violence in this county’s rapidly growing segment of the population."
--Alberto Mata, Professor of Sociology, University of Oklahoma

Introduction * Life and Gangs on the West Side * The Research Process: Acquiring Access, Maintaining Visibility, and Establishing Rapport * Families in a Dangerous Community * Risk Behaviors: Delinquency, Violence, Substance Use, and Sexual Relations * Sexual and Physical Violence Victimization * The Situational Context of Dating Violence * Explaining Partner Violence: Family, Drugs, and Psychosocial Factors * Conclusion

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